The MDR F1 definitely shares some similarities to the MA900 in sound, but the latter is a bit of an improvement overall. The F1 is a tad more rolled off in the highs and a tad less detailed overall. I found the soundstage on the F1 to be a bit overly diffuse and holographic when used with Dolby Headphone.

The Q701 is a more detailed headphone and has sharper and more discrete imaging/positioning when used in Dolby Headphone. So yes, the Q701s are better for sound whoring.

If all you care about is sound whoring though, the Q701 is overkill, because it won't sound whore any better than an AD700(x) or HD5x8. It will mainly be more immersive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ateupwithgolf

Get the mod mic for your chat, works great.

Thank you for the info! I like my F1's, great comfort, but wanted to try something different as well. Had a pair of AD 700's already, but comfort/fit was issue for me. I'm gonna try out some Akg q701's and see how it goes.

If all you care about is sound whoring though, the Q701 is overkill, because it won't sound whore any better than an AD700(x) or HD5x8. It will mainly be more immersive.

I have owned the AD700, the 555 (modded too) and the 598, and the former is considerably better than all those for competitive gaming. That's the only one that made an unfair advantage, sound whoring.

Of course this is talking about a particular use, because the 598 are way better headphones as a whole than the other two and people say the top of the line AKGs just destroy them, which should be true considering they were a part of 'the headphone trio' and the other two are proper hi-fi, where it starts.

On a side note, the 555 soundstage mod is overrated. Doing it has big tradeoffs, ruining the headphones for music (not that they were good to begin with) and I'd say doesn't make them any better for gaming as well.

MLE - why haven't you added entries in the amp section for the proper desktop amps that you have owned?

Because it's unconventional and illogical. Most people looking for gaming headphones tend to have small budgets. For gaming purposes, recommending a $600 amp/dac on the guide just doesn't make sense. If they happen to own such a solution, then chances are they already know to use it. For thise looking for simple, accessible methods on powering headphones for gaming, will more than likely go for something in the $100 range.

I know I have expensive headphones up, but those are more likely to be bought, than an expensive amp/dac.Edited by Mad Lust Envy - 1/4/14 at 7:43pm

Wow, it must be really cold in Pittsburgh for that reply. To clarify, I use the DH decoder in the Sony and plug in the Sony MDR-F1's into the base unit instead of using the wireless headphones that come with it. I also have a mixamp 2013 version. I am wondering if anyone knows if the mixamp and the decoder in the sony do the same thing. If they do indeed, would a akgq701 be a superior headphone for gaming than the Sony F1's?
EDIT: apologize for not linking the first time

Somewhere between 5-11 degrees Fahrenheit at that time Also quite dark, and after X-mas shoppers can be quite mean/demanding I'm not against helping, but please forgive letting exasperation get to me?

What Sony decoder are you using?
If the decoder is using Dolby Headphone, then it is using the exact same processing as the Mixamp and (original) DSS to create virtual surround... any other difference would come from the quality in DAC and Amp built into the decoder.
The Q701 is a top-tier headphone by one of the oldest and proficient headphone makers, I haven't heard the Sony F1 but I CAN tell you that the Q701 delivers competitive detail AND immersiveness in spades. The trade-off of having very detailed headphones, however, is they might reveal flaws in other gear.

It is hard to spend money on headphones when you don't actually know what your experience will be like, and you want your dollar to go the furthest, huh? I totally get that. Been there.

Mad's review of the PC360 is spot on, I heard a definitely good and capable headphone in it. I chose to buy and own a Q701, because it's a step-up and a very great value in headphone-world. It's really easy to add a mic to use with any headphone, in fact it gives me more slack to use a separate headphone if I want to use the mic input of my Xbox controller, and I just coil it around my headphone cable if I use it with my PC. Mad linked a really inexpensive mic – that clips to your shirt – on the first post of this thread, I bought a 3-pack and they all work well.Edited by Evshrug - 1/4/14 at 9:03pm

Thank you for the info! I like my F1's, great comfort, but wanted to try something different as well. Had a pair of AD 700's already, but comfort/fit was issue for me. I'm gonna try out some Akg q701's and see how it goes.

Originally Posted by Mad Lust Envy
Because it's unconventional and illogical. Most people looking for gaming headphones tend to have small budgets. For gaming purposes, recommending a $600 amp/dac on the guide just doesn't make sense. If they happen to own such a solution, then chances are they already know to use it. For thise looking for simple, accessible methods on powering headphones for gaming, will more than likely go for something in the $100 range.

I know I have expensive headphones up, but those are more likely to be bought, than an expensive amp/dac.

The other reason it doesn't make sense is that most of the perceived sound quality at the end is a function of the headphone.

Buyers should pick out whatever headphone fits their tastes and then buy the amp that brings the most out of it. Going the other way around is unnecessarily limiting...especially if you're like me and develop a taste for electrostatics at that price range, which rules out the vast majority of the amp market.

Also, I don't really like combo DAC/amps. Want to replace just one? Too bad, you gotta replace both. Besides, if I had that much money to blow on just amplification, I'd grab another Stax SRM-T1, maybe an SRM-313 with a Normal bias jack, depending on what's available on the used market. Those sort of amps never get DACs integrated into them anyway.

On a side note, the 555 soundstage mod is overrated. Doing it has big tradeoffs, ruining the headphones for music (not that they were good to begin with) and I'd say doesn't make them any better for gaming as well.